City of Toledo Newsletter, May 21, 2021

Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz

I had the privilege of welcoming Eugene Kranz home to Toledo yesterday ahead of the event tomorrow to officially rename and dedicate our airport in his honor.

Mr. Kranz, a Toledo native, is a NASA legend and one of the icons of the American space program. As I have said before: without Gene Kranz, there is no moon landing on July 20, 1969. I encourage all Toledoans to participate in the renaming ceremony and cheer our native son. This will be our chance to welcome home a hero and thank him for the inspiring example he has set for generations to come.

Mr. Kranz is a graduate of Central Catholic High School. His interest in space flight developed at a young age and was first recognized when he wrote his high school thesis about the potential of flying a single-stage rocket to the moon. Most notably, he played a crucial role in the Apollo program and acted as the flight director for the first lunar landing, Apollo 11, in 1969. He also served as the flight director for Apollo 13 and played a pivotal role to return the rocket and three astronauts safely to Earth amid an explosion that disabled the spacecraft when it was en route to the moon in 1970. After a long, successful career with NASA, Mr. Kranz retired in 1994.

I hope his presence and the event tomorrow will serve as an inspiration to many of our young Toledoans interested in STEM fields.

The event starts at 10 a.m. tomorrow. The public can watch online at toledoexpress.com/eugenefkranz. Find more information on Facebook.

COVID-19

Toledo Police

Thursday was a day of remembrance and honor for law enforcement across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan who gathered at the Toledo Police Memorial downtown to pay tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Toledo Police remembered and honored two officers lost recently in the line of duty during separate incidents: Officer Anthony Dia who was shot and killed July 4, 2020 and Officer Brandon Stalker who was shot and killed Jan. 18, 2021.

Mark Your Calendars

Engage Toledo Drop Off Refuse and Recycling Event

The next free refuse and recycling drop-off event will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 22 at Point Place Plaza, 5109 Suder Ave.

Acceptable items include electronic waste; up to 10 tires, on or off the rim, but no commercial tires; documents; houseware goods; clothing; toys; bulky items, and refuse. Latex paint will be accepted for $1 per gallon. Televisions and CRT monitors will be accepted. Major appliances will not be accepted.

Community Townhall Meeting on Gun Violence

The third installment in a series of initiatives to get the community involved with the City of Toledo to strategize best practices in gun violence prevention will be a townhall-style meeting at Waite High School, 301 Morrison Dr., from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 22.

The public may participate virtually or in person. Registration is required for either in-person or virtual attendance.

Asian Heritage Festival

Women of Toledo, with the support of the HerHub Business Network, will present an in-person festival: "Art, Food, & Fun," a showcase of various local Asian-owned businesses and restaurants in celebration of Asian Heritage Month from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday, May 22.

To adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, masks will be required. There is a limit of 50 guests for each of the three 90-minute time slots: 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.; 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required at this link: 419asianheritage.eventbrite.com.

Casey Jones/Hamilton Park Meeetings

The City of Toledo Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Division is seeking community input for redevelopment of Casey Jones/Hamilton Park and the surrounding green spaces.

Join us for two community meetings. The meetings will be held outside. Please bring folding chairs or blankets.

Join us at Casey Jones/Hamilton Park, 1760 Hamilton St., on Saturday, May 22 at 11 a.m or Tuesday, May 25 at 5 p.m.